Most Inspirational Moment
There are just so many to mention but key highlights for me in Jordan are: Seeing the Treasury for the first time, climbing 850 steps up and down again to see the Monastery, spending a night in Wadi Rum and seeing the amazing stars at night and finally swimming in the Dead Sea! Oh and amazing amazing lunch at Madaba that Amer organised for us all. All brilliant accompanied by Amer’s knowledgeable teachings and “story time” of the history of Jordan and its brilliant sites. In Palestine and Israel, the key highlights for me is the day in the holy land and understanding the 4 different quarters within Jerusalem. Following the different stations that Jesus went through. A trip to Bethlehem and seeing the Walled off hotel.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Amer who is our tour leader in Jordan is absolutely absolutely incredible. He went above and beyond I would expect from any tour guide. He is so knowledgeable and really is keen to share his knowledge and stories about the history of the sites we’re going to and I can see the passion he has for his country. I know I joke about “story time” or “lecture time” during the trip but Amer really got me to listen and engage in everything he has to say about everything in the trip and the sites we’ve visited. When he speaks, we listen and he has so many things to say about the places we went to and despite us asking a lot of questions he’s been so patient and so detailed in his answers. I learned so much about Jordan and your amazing country Amer thank you so much for showing us the great Jordan. Thank you for going the extra mile on getting us great Jordanian tea, zaatar and olive oil. Can’t wait to serve these for one of our evenings with friends. Thank you as well for sorting me out when I lost my passport barcode while crossing the Jordan - Israel border. I really thought that would be a major problem but you’ve sorted it. You’ve been an amazing tour leader, thank you Amer! Ibrahim is our Israel and Palestine tour leader and he is also incredibly brilliant and knowledge about both countries he’s showcasing to the group. He’s provided very non-bias responses and because of how deeply rooted the issues there is between both countries, Ibrahim has kept a level of factual input and professionalism in his tour and for this I appreciate him. Ibrahim has made us all feel safe and have gone above and beyond by letting us know he is always at hand and is always a text away. He is very knowledgeable of the areas we went to and great lunch and dinner recommendations as well. The Walled Off Hotel and the Banksy graffiti is one of key importance for me and my partner and Ibrahim made sure that we were able to see everything we needed to in the area and gave us enough time to enjoy everything about it. Even when we thought we’re going to be delayed due to a driver issue beyond our control, Ibrahim was able to sort out a new driver for us immediately and we were brought back to be on schedule again.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Check the weather before you go and because in Jordan you’re staying in the desert and in Israel and Palestine you’re going to the holy sites, please pack a lot of warm clothes but also clothes that aren’t tight fitting and clothes that modest. The weather changes from really cold in the morning to quite hot in the afternoon when we went in March. Bring a raincoat in case too! This trip is pretty full on and jam packed with activities, in Jordan there was a bit of time to sleep on the bus but in Palestine and Israel - everything is super close that in 30 mins or so, you are at your destination. The tour would start at reasonable times 8:30am/9am. You need to be prepared for a lot of walking when you get to Petra. So stay hydrated most of the day, there are a lot of toilets so key is to stay hydrated. Be patient when crossing the border between Jordan <> Israel the process does take a bit of time.